What's gone wrong since Jan 2009?

[Risso]

Seems more logical to me to strengthen wisely at a low cost and then subject to survival set about the real rebuild in the summer, hopefully having reduced the wage bill by unloading wasters like Carew, Sidwell, Beye, Davies and co, rather than players who could offer something, like Gardner, Cahill, Davis, who were on far smaller wages.

I've highlighted the weakness in your argument.  Our manager is currently averaging 0.88 points per game, which is nailed on relegation form.  Tinkering with the squad is going to see us relegated.

[LeeS]

I feel like we could buy a couple of £15m players in the window and still see no improvement. It isnt the personnel that is the issue. Its the management style and woeful tactics.

[cheltenhamlion]

If people want to kick the board over the appointment of Houllier, and the subsequent poor results, then that is fair enough.

But the accusations of the money running out or Lerner not caring are absolute hogwash. There was plenty of cash available for new players in the summer and there is plenty now I would suggest.

MON didn't have anyone in mind last January and his refusal to get rid of the players on big dough that he had no intention of playing was the reason that the breaks were put on him in the summer.

Relax about the money. Let's see what the window brings.

[rutski]

what the fuck happened since 1897? we were double winners and apart from a brief flirtation in the early 1980 s we have been shit and i hate the players!

[not3bad]

Balls.  We've needed a striker for years, and I said so during the last two transfer windows.

Spent plenty of money in the Summer 2009 transfer window.  Might not have been on the players you wanted but it was spent.  And again, I'm not denying mistakes were made.

I never denied we spent money that summer.  I'm talking about the 18 months since then.

Since then we've had two transfer windows.  There is often very little movement in the Winter window.  Mistake?  Possibly.  But what strikers were available to be signed last Winter, anyone know?

We all have a fair idea of what happened last summer - didn't O'Neill want to sign Mcgeady and Keane?  He was told no players until the wage bill came down.  If he'd stayed, would he have signed players, including a striker?  Since he tended to do his main business on August 31st we'll never know.

[KevinGage]

Bluntly, the money ran out. We spent a hell of a lot of money trying to improve on 6th with less and less progress. MON wanted more spending and when he didn't get it he surmised that this team had peaked and he couldn't stop the rot with limited funds. This isn't the first time we've gone from flying high to near relegation in a couple of seasons and its usually down to players leaving, other players getting past it, and replacements not being good enough. We've had all three in spades

Good point

Very comparible to 1990/91

Finished runners up under GT MK1 in 1990, sold best player (Platt), got a foreign manager in and nearly went down

Except we didn't sell any players in the summer GT left and Venglos took over (tell a lie, maybe Dean Spink).

We only sold Platt the following season, after a season of struggle.

Same personnel as GT's second placed side, but Venglos nearly took us down?  I'd say the manager of the time had to have a far degree of responsibility for that, as does the current one for our position at present.

[cheltenhamlion]

We did sign Gary Penrice

[KevinGage]

Aye, in about March wasn't it?

and Ivo Stas a few months earlier.

Only problem was Stas got injured and never played and Penrice might as well have been injured.

[cheltenhamlion]

I didn't say he was any good. I seem to recall a home defeat against Luton as his debut.

In fact, I have a vivid recollection of a volleyed goal in front of the Holte by Kingsley Black.

[brontebilly]

Changing from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 when Heskey arrived. We stopped doing what was making us successful.

agree 100%. Heskey was a disastrous signing. Barry supporting Gabby with Reo Coker and Petrov holding the midfield was our strongest team. The move to 442 exposed the lack of pace between Petrov and Barry as a partnership while Heskey was a disaster up front. Hard to know how MON didnt spot his mistake. That draw to Stoke was awful, we were cruising at 2-0 up. Gabby missed a few sitters but Glenn Whelan and someone else stung us at the death. I supported MON re the Moscow debacle. The only aim was the Champions League. Arsenal though it must be said finished like a train after Xmas with the signing of Arshavin being key.

I dont think Gareth barry leaving was as huge a blow as some made out. I think to be honest his best days were at the club. Moving Milner centrally eventually was a fine replacement. We never really threatened as much for the CL in 2009/10. We were always catching up. Agree playing the likes of Cuellar at right back at home to Wolves and Sunderland was rank poor from MON. Didnt he play the same 11 three times that week. Cant remember who we beat in the first game.

Unfortunately the board have to take serious criticism for allowing MON to spend so much money that 85% of turnover was going on wages. That was not sustainable. Until we get that down to a reasonable level I cant see much progress for the club considering the support is deserting in its droves at the moment.

[Deano's Mullet]

The home form has been poor for the last two and a half seasons - too many draws and not enough ideas on how to break down defences. We havent managed more than eight home wins in the last two seasons. Look at the amount of lower placed teams who have come away with a least a draw in that time. The final game of last season at home to Blackburn was one of the most depressing i've ever sat through.  The away form has been whats kept us afloat  and now that's deserted us.

[badluckeric(gates)]

My boiler, but then again it has been a hard winter.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Jumping up and down like a toddler after too much Sunny D costs nowt.  Appointing a decent manager and giving him the funds to do his job does.  And he's shown no sign of doing the latter recently.

I seem to remeber you agreeing that RL was right to withhold money from MON until he'd got the wage bill down.  And this is only GH's first transfer window.  If no money has been spent by February 1st then you'll have a point, until then, you don't.

Balls.  We've needed a striker for years, and I said so during the last two transfer windows.

100& agree, Carew's not done it this year & Heskey & Agbonlahor aren't prolific enough in front of goal. We can buy all the midfielders going but if our strikers miss all the chances then were going to struggle

[kippaxvilla2]

Randy's given up.

I think his reaction to the equaliser on Sunday begs to differ.

And that proved what exactly? 

Saying he has given up suggests that his heart is no longer in the club, and that he would have little interest in the clubs current situation. To me that response would prove the opposite.

To me that suggested he had Clarke to score in injury time at 22-1 with Victor Chandler.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

We did sign Gary Penrice

A panic sale or we would have had to pay £500,000 in 'corporation tax'